Cooking apparatus

Abstract

A cooking apparatus includes a heat source, a supporting device for food, a supporting frame to support the supporting device, a central edge, and two lateral edges connected to the central edge. The lateral edges have a front lower border, a front upper border and a front intermediate border that connects the front lower border with the front upper border. The supporting device for food is placed onto the front upper borders of the two lateral edges and has its lateral border in contact with the front intermediate borders of the lateral edges.

Claims

1. A cooking apparatus comprising: a heat source; a supporting device for food; said supporting device being composed of two grills that define a compartment where the food to be cooked is placed said supporting device comprising a lateral edge and a holding handle; a supporting frame supporting said supporting device, said supporting frame comprising: a central wall disposed in a substantial vertical position, said central wall comprising a lower border and an upper border; two lateral walls connected to said central wall and disposed orthogonal with respect to said central wall, each of the two lateral walls comprising: a lower supporting edge adapted to be placed on a horizontal surface; a back vertical edge connected to said central wall; a front lower border; a front upper border; and a front intermediate border connecting said front lower border with said front upper border, wherein said front upper border is inclined with respect to said lower supporting edge by an angle (α1) of between 64° and 77°, wherein said front upper border is inclined with respect to the front intermediate border by an angle (α3) of between 80° and 90°, wherein said heat source is an electric grill and the cooking apparatus further comprises supporting means for supporting said electric grill between said two lateral walls of said supporting frame, wherein said supporting device is placed onto the front upper borders of said two lateral walls and the lateral edge of said supporting device being in contact with the front intermediate borders of the two lateral walls so that the two grills of said supporting device are inclined of an angle of between 64° and 77° with respect to the horizontal surface.

2. The cooking apparatus of claim 1, wherein said lower supporting edge of the two lateral walls is inclined with respect to the back vertical edge by an angle (α2) of between 84° and 88°.

3. The cooking apparatus of claim 1, wherein said central wall and said two lateral walls are made in one piece from a sheet metal that is first cut and then bent in correspondence to the back vertical edge of the two lateral walls.

4. The cooking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the supporting means comprises a compartment wherein a portion of the holding handle of the electric grill is inserted.

5. The cooking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the supporting means has flexible tongues that support the holding handle of the electric grill.

6. The cooking apparatus of claim 5, wherein the supporting means comprises a front central tongue and two back lateral tongues, said front central tongue cooperating with an upper surface of the holding handle and said two back lateral tongues cooperating with a lower surface of the holding handle.

7. The cooking apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electric grill comprises a safety button that enables a switching-on of the electric grill.

8. The cooking apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a supporting element disposed between said heat source and said supporting frame so as to support said heat source.

9. The cooking apparatus of claim 8, further comprising: an adjustment means on said supporting frame for adjusting a distance between said supporting frame and said supporting element.

10. The cooking apparatus of claim 9, wherein said adjustment means comprises a screw that is tightened into a threaded hole on the central wall of said supporting frame.

11. The cooking apparatus of claim 8, wherein said supporting element comprises a pin that hinges said supporting element to said supporting frame, said pin being inserted into holes on the two lateral walls of said supporting frame.

12. The cooking apparatus of claim 8, wherein the supporting means are positioned on said supporting element.

13. The cooking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the supporting means are positioned in correspondence to the upper border of said central wall.

14. The cooking apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a box frame having a central wall and four lateral walls perpendicular to said central wall, said box frame having a compartment defined by the central wall and by the four lateral walls, the compartment being dimensioned to contain said supporting frame, said box frame being hinged on the upper border of said central wall of said supporting frame and adapted to be placed in an idle position, wherein said supporting frame is contained inside the compartment of said box frame, and is in an operating position disposed with the central wall in a substantially perpendicular position with respect to the central wall of said supporting frame, the central wall of said box frame having a hole adapted to let the cooking fumes pass through.

15. An extractor hood comprising: a cooking apparatus comprising: a heat source; a supporting device for food; said supporting device being composed of two grills that define a compartment where the food to be cooked is placed; said supporting device comprising a lateral edge and a holding handle; a supporting frame supporting said supporting device, said supporting frame comprising: a central wall disposed in a substantial vertical position, said central wall comprising a lower border and an upper border; two lateral walls connected to said central wall and disposed orthogonal with respect to said central wall, each of the two lateral comprising: a lower supporting edge adapted to be placed on a horizontal surface; a back vertical edge connected to said central wall; a front lower border; a front upper border; and a front intermediate border connecting said front lower border with said front upper border, wherein said front upper border is inclined with respect to said lower supporting edge by an angle (α1) of between 64° and 77°, wherein said front upper border is inclined with respect to the front intermediate border by an angle (α3) of between 80° and 90°, wherein said heat source is an electric grill and the cooking apparatus further comprises supporting means for supporting said electric grill between said lateral walls of said supporting frame, wherein said supporting device is placed onto the front upper borders of said two lateral walls and the lateral edge of said supporting device being in contact with the front intermediate borders of the two lateral walls so that the two grills of said supporting device are inclined of an angle of between 64° and 77° with respect to the horizontal surface; a frame comprising a compartment and an opening that provides access to the compartment; at least one guide connected to said cooking apparatus and to said frame in order to move said cooking apparatus with respect to said frame in order to introduce or extract said cooking apparatus into or from the compartment of said frame through the opening.

16. The extractor hood of claim 15, wherein said at least one guide comprises a first element fixed to said frame and disposed inside the compartment and a second element slidably mounted on the first element, said second element being fixed to said cooking apparatus.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For the sake of clarity, the description of the cooking apparatus of the invention continues with reference to the attached drawings, which have a merely illustrative, not limiting value, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is an exploded axonometric view of the cooking apparatus of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is an axonometric view of the supporting frame while it supports the heat source;

(4) FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side view of the cooking apparatus according to the invention sectioned with a vertical plane passing through the holding handle of the heat source;

(5) FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic axonometric view of the cooking apparatus of the invention according to a second embodiment;

(6) FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic axonometric view of a hood according to the invention comprising the cooking apparatus of FIG. 1;

(7) FIG. 6 is an axonometric exploded view of a third embodiment of the cooking apparatus of the invention;

(8) FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic side view of the cooking apparatus of FIG. 6 sectioned with a vertical plane passing through the holding handle of the heat source;

(9) FIG. 8 is the same as FIG. 7, except for it shows a back-piece of the cooking apparatus according to the present invention with a different inclination with respect to a vertical axis.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) With reference to FIG. 1, the cooking apparatus according to the invention comprises:

(11) a heat source (1); in particular, said heat source (1) is an electric grill comprising a coil (11) and a holding handle (12);

(12) a supporting device (2) for food;

(13) a supporting frame (3) for supporting both the electric grill and the supporting device (2) for food.

(14) Said supporting device (2) is traditional and is composed of two grills (21,22) that define a compartment (V) where to place the food to be cooked; said supporting device (2) comprises a lateral border (23) and a holding handle (24), as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

(15) With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, said supporting frame (3) comprises:

(16) a central wall (4) comprising a lower border (41) and an upper border (42);

(17) two lateral walls (5) connected to said central wall (4); said lateral walls (5) comprise a lower supporting border (51) and a back vertical border (52) connected to said central edge (4); said lateral edges (5) also comprise a front lower border (53), a front upper border (54) and a front intermediate border (55) connecting said front lower border (53) with said front upper border (54).

(18) It must be noted that, while cooking the food, the supporting device (2) for food is placed onto the front upper borders (54) of the two lateral edges (5) and has its lateral border (23) in contact with the front intermediate borders (55) of the lateral walls (5), as shown in FIG. 3.

(19) Still with reference to FIG. 3, the cooking apparatus according to the invention has some special geometries that achieve the aforementioned purposes, and namely:

(20) said front upper border (54) of the lateral walls (5) is inclined with respect to the lower supporting border (51) by an angle (α1) comprised between 64° and 77°, preferably 70°;

(21) said lower supporting border (51) of the lateral walls (5) is inclined with respect to the back vertical border (52) by an angle (α2) comprised between 84° and 88°, preferably 86°;

(22) said front upper border (54) of the lateral walls (5) is inclined with respect to the lower supporting border (55) by an angle (α1) comprised between 90° and 80°, preferably 90°.

(23) With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the cooking apparatus comprises supporting means (M) for the electric grill, provided on the upper border (42) of the central wall (4). Said supporting means (M) consist in flexible tongues that support the holding handle (12) of the electric grill.

(24) More precisely, said supporting means (M) comprise one front central tongue (6) and two back lateral tongues (7).

(25) As shown in FIG. 1, said front central tongue (6) cooperates with the upper surface of the holding handle (12) and said two back lateral tongues (7) cooperate with the lower surface of the holding handle (12).

(26) The supporting frame (3) of the invention is also suitable for being used with traditional electric grills that normally comprise a safety button that enables the switching-on of the electric grill when the electric grill is in operating position, that is to say it is placed correctly onto a supporting frame; for this reason, said front central tongue (6) is shaped in such a way to press said safety button when the electric grill is correctly placed on the supporting frame (3) in operating position.

(27) According to a second embodiment, which is diagrammatically shown in FIG. 4, the cooking apparatus of the invention comprises a box frame (8) comprising a central wall (81) and four lateral walls (82) perpendicular to said central wall (81).

(28) Said box frame (8) comprises a compartment (V1) defined by said central wall (81) and by four lateral walls (82); said compartment (V1) has suitable dimensions in order to contain the supporting frame (3), in such a way that, when the cooking apparatus is not used, the supporting frame (3) is contained inside said box frame (8).

(29) According to a preferred embodiment, moreover, said box frame (8) is hinged on the upper border (42) of the central wall (4) of the supporting frame (3) and can be:

(30) in an idle position (not shown in the attached figures), wherein the supporting frame (3) is contained inside the compartment (V1) of the box frame (8);

(31) in an operating position, wherein it is disposed with its central wall (81) in a substantially perpendicular position with respect to the central wall (4) of the supporting frame (3), as shown in FIG. 4.

(32) Still with reference to FIG. 4, said central wall (81) has a hole (83) intended to let the cooking fumes pass through.

(33) Advantageously, said box frame (8) can be provided, in correspondence of said hole (83), with means (84) intended to put said hole (83) in communication with extracting means of the cooking fumes; said means (84) are diagrammatically represented in FIG. 4 with a connection nozzle whereon a preferably flexible hose can be connected, upstream of which an extracting device such as the one provided in a kitchen extractor hood is installed.

(34) Said box frame (8) may comprise locking means in order to be locked in operating position; said means may consist at least in an automatic button intended to cooperate in a hole in such a way to be elastically released as soon as it is aligned with said hole, or in a pair of toothed crowns provided with a spring that pushes one crown against the other.

(35) Finally, it must be noted that the supporting frame (3) is monolithic and said central wall (4), the supporting means (M) and said lateral walls (5) are made in one piece from a sheet metal that is first cut and then bent in correspondence of both the back vertical border (52) of the lateral walls (5) and the flexible tongues (6,7).

(36) FIG. 5 shows a kitchen extractor hood according to the invention, indicated with reference letter (C) and comprising the cooking apparatus of the invention.

(37) The hood (C) comprises a frame (C2) that defines a compartment, intended to house the cooking apparatus, and provided with a lower opening (C1) used to access the compartment, through which the cooking apparatus can pass in order to protrude from the compartment or to be inserted in the compartment of the frame (C2).

(38) The hood (C) also comprises a pair of guides (C3) connected to the cooking apparatus and to the frame (C2) to make the cooking apparatus slide with respect to the frame (C2) in order to introduce or extract the cooking apparatus into or from the compartment of the frame (C2) through the opening (C1). Each guide (C3) comprises a first element fixed to the frame (C2) in correspondence of the opening (C1) and disposed inside the compartment, and a second element slidably mounted on the first element. The second element is fixed to the cooking apparatus, in such a way that, by moving the second element with respect to the first element, the cooking apparatus can be extracted from the compartment or can be inserted in the compartment of the frame (C2). Advantageously, said guides (C3) have a substantially vertical position.

(39) FIGS. 6 to 8 show a third embodiment of the cooking apparatus according to the invention. In the following description the parts that are identical or correspond to the parts described above are identified with the same numerals, omitting their detailed description.

(40) The cooking apparatus comprises a supporting element (9) disposed between the heat source (1) and the supporting frame (3).

(41) The supporting element (9) comprises a substantially vertical back wall (91) with rectangular shape, two lateral walls (92) and one upper wall (93).

(42) The supporting element (9) is hinged in upper position to the lateral walls (5) of the supporting frame (3) by means of a pin (90) inserted in holes (F) obtained on said lateral walls (5). Because of the supporting element (9), on one side the overheating of the frame (3) can be prevented, and on the other side the heat can be completely concentrated towards the supporting device (2) intended to contain the food to be cooked.

(43) It must be noted that according to said third embodiment the supporting means (M) for the electric grill are provided on the supporting element (9), in correspondence of the upper wall (93). In view of the above, the supporting element (9) supports the electric grill. Advantageously, the supporting means (M) comprise a compartment wherein a portion of the holding handle (12) of the electric grill is inserted. The supporting means (M) are configured in such a way to press the safety button of the electric grill.

(44) Alternatively, the support means (M) comprise flexible tongues.

(45) The cooking apparatus comprises adjustment means (R) provided on the supporting frame (3) in order to adjust the distance between the supporting frame (3) and the supporting element (9) and, consequently, the distance between the heat source (1) and the supporting device (2) that supports the food to be cooked. Said adjustment means (R) comprise a screw that is screwed into a threaded hole obtained on the central wall (4) of the supporting frame (3).

(46) The screw comprises a first end that is intended to be moved in order to tighten/untighten the screw inside the threaded hole and a second end that is disposed in contact with the back wall (91) of the supporting element (9). As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the tightening or untightening of the screw moves the supporting element (9), and consequently the heat source (1), closer or farther with respect to the supporting device (2) for food, which is placed on the front upper border of the lateral walls (5). In view of the above, the food can be exposed to a higher or lower heat.

(47) Although it is not shown in the figures, the supporting element (9) can be a receptacle that comprises a compartment, intended to contain a gas supply device or charcoal. In such a case, the heat source (1) is the charcoal or the gas supply device. Advantageously, a front wall of the supporting element (9) is provided with openings to let the heat out of the compartment of the supporting element (9).